Is it just me or do these groups on either side of the pond cancel each other out. The Americans are protesting about what capitalism has done to their country and the Euro's are complaining about what socialism has done to their country.... beats me!

"what is it with leftists and their desire to speak for everyone? are they so delusional they think everyone agrees with them? or so insecure about their own intelligence that they must know that there is near absolute unanimity behind them?"

Followed by -

"I would like to add this message is brought to you buy the 99.9% of all people on the planet who agree with me."

I like your slight change, but I'm afraid the "Granny Peace Brigade" would not agree with your characterization. They are definitely not "coddled, whiny little GenY/Millennial momma's boys and girls who never grew up," although I'm not sure they might be living in the Brigade's basements.

On that note, please enjoy this Wayne's World/Bohemian Rhapsody mosh-mix:

"The past few years has seen a development that may look like the tables have turned completely with respect for the law. The people who are upholding the law and guaranteeing our fundamental rights are hunted activists. They are defending our law-written rights against none other than law enforcement. Who’s the police these days, anyway, and who’s the crook?

Governments all over the world, and in the so-called Free West in particular, look like confused sheep. They are applauding the net activists who are helping people communicate unhindered to get news out from repressive regimes, and at the same time arresting people who use the same technologies in their own countries.

In the United Kingdom, you can get five years in prison for not revealing a password to an encrypted data set. Even if you have forgotten it. Even if it isn’t an encrypted dataset to begin with, but recorded astronomy noise, which looks just the same. If you can’t produce the documents that law enforcement says are in there, somewhere in the noise, then off to jail you go.

In Sweden, the government has enacted laws that enable wiretapping of all your communications at any time without warrant or notice (the FRA act). In France, the government is trying to send people into social exile for sharing music. Where’s the police here, protecting our rights? We find them in the shape of activists. Governments are slowly discovering that the door to freedom swings both ways.

If net activists are applauded as they help people in corrupt and repressed regimes expose secrets of the government, then those same technologies can and will be used in every country, even the ones who consider themselves good.

Don’t all governments consider themselves good? It’s just the citizens who tend to disagree to a varying level.

This pattern, where activists are seen as lawbreakers for doing what’s right, follows the patterns of history. It happens about every 40 years. 80 years ago, activists were protecting fundamental rights against law enforcement who opened fire on people who protested in the streets instead of being at work.

The activists founded a new political movement — the labor movement, social democratic parties — that rewrote the laws and reshaped law enforcement to police our rights. 40 years ago, activists were protecting our environment against law enforcement who were protecting corporations that polluted way above what was allowed.

The activists were the ones upholding the law and our rights; law enforcement and governments tried to prevent it from happening. In the end, the activism spawned green parties in many countries that reshaped law enforcement to stand on the side of the citizens, and not on the side of polluting corporations.

And here we are today, with a global, unfettered right to communicate, share, observe, and inform. Law enforcement is cracking down on it. Activists are defying law enforcement and giving us tools that guarantee our rights. People have a duty to defy unjust laws.

And until everybody finds the courage to do so, I am grateful and indebted to the activists who police and guarantee our fundamental rights."

Very interesting comments posted here. The truth is that things have changed significantly for so many Americans (the majority. There is a sense of frustration and a 'real' concern about the future for the first time. However, I still do not believe that this 'concern' has penetrated the middle class hard enough to cause a more profound wake up call. People care about this and empathize on the one hand, but on the other, they do not care enough.......at least not yet. In time if things do not change, those who are still numbed by a subdued hope that things will change for the better 'somehow', will be hit by this cold angry massive wave that will threaten their livelihood as they know it. It is just a matter of time. When will all wake up and take action? not sure. Maybe when unemployment hits
15%?? despite deporting (or electrifying or blowing up some at the border) all illegals (mere scape goats for angry Republicans)?, or maybe when Americans start migrating to Brazil? Mexico? or when private schools and colleges begin to disappear at the same rate public schools are? Not sure. I am afraid I have no slogan for this movement, maybe "SLOWLY FADING".
They are frustrated and rightly so, but things are not yet "bad enough" for the so many who "know" change is happening for the worse but who refuse to join in..........just yet. Action is needed and is needed soon. But we need to define our goals and plan of action. After all, this is a democracy no?, well lets start implementing the very basics of what this nation was supposed to be and has not for a long long time.

@martin: The proof of political influence will come in the upcoming elections. The Tea Party - like them or not - proved their chops indisputably by overhauling Congress. They are indeed representative of a large segment of the voting population.

OWS may or may not deliver a similar outcome. I'm going to take a wild guess that they won't.

"are [leftists] so delusional they think everyone agrees with them? or so insecure about their own intelligence that they must know that there is near absolute unanimity behind them?"

Pretty sure that the trick to gaining political influence in a democratic system of governance is claiming to have a significant amount of support from the public at large. Nobody ever has gained an audience by claiming, "Realistically, I represent the interests of at most 2-4% of the population."

It really bugs me when people feign ignorance. Anybody who has read this blog even sporadically over the past two years is WELL AWARE of the Tea Party's claim to represent many people. Anybody who has read ANY coverage of ANY politician is WELL AWARE of the long-standing political strategy by persons of all political persuasions of claiming to have a significant body of support. This is absolutely nothing new, and this is certainly not a phenomenon confined to "leftists."

It really hurts your credibility when you feign ignorance. Eventually, readers will assume you're not feigning ignorance, and that you actually are ignorant.